Background: The eastern half of the island of New Guinea - second largest in the world - was divided between Germany (north) and the UK (south) in 1885. The latter area was transferred to Australia in 1902 which occupied the northern portion during World War I and continued to administer the combined areas until independence in 1975. A nine-year secessionist revolt on the island of Bougainville ended in 1997 after claiming some 20,000 lives.

Geographic coordinates: 6 00 S 147 00 E

Map reference: Oceania

Area
Total: 462,840 km²
Land: 452,860 km²
Water: 9,980 km²
Comparative: slightly larger than California

Land boundaries
Total: 820 km
Border countries: (1) Indonesia 820 km

Coastline: 5,152 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 NM
Continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM

Climate: tropical; northwest monsoon (December to March) southeast monsoon (May to October); slight seasonal temperature variation

Terrain: mostly mountains with coastal lowlands and rolling foothills

Elevation
Extremes lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
Extremes highest point: Mount Wilhelm 4,509 m

Natural resources: gold copper silver natural gas timber oil fisheries

Land use
Arable land: 0.13%
Permanent crops: 1.35%
Other: 98.52% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land: NA km²

Natural hazards: active volcanism; situated along the Pacific 'Ring of Fire'; the country is subject to frequent and sometimes severe earthquakes; mud slides; tsunamis

Geography
Note: shares island of New Guinea with Indonesia; one of world's largest swamps along southwest coast

Population: 5,295,816 (July 2003 est.)
Growth rate: 2.34% (2003 est.)
Below poverty line: 37% (2002 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Papua New Guinean
Adjective: Papua New Guinean

Ethnic groups: Melanesian Papuan Negrito Micronesian Polynesian

Languages
Note: 715 indigenous languages

Religions: Roman Catholic 22% Lutheran 16% Presbyterian/Methodist/London Missionary Society 8% Anglican 5% Evangelical Alliance 4% Seventh-Day Adventist 1% other Protestant 10% indigenous beliefs 34%

Age structure
0-14 years: 38.4% (male 1,034,219; female 1,000,505)
15-64 years: 57.8% (male 1,582,983; female 1,479,436)
65 years and over: 3.8% (male 93,604; female 105,069) (2003 est.)

Median age
Total: 20.8 years
Male: 21 years
Female: 20.6 years (2002)

Population growth rate: 2.34% (2003 est.)

Birth rate: 31.07 births/1000 population (2003 est.)

Death rate: 7.63 deaths/1000 population (2003 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (2003 est.)

Environment
Current issues: rain forest subject to deforestation as a result of growing commercial demand for tropical timber; pollution from mining projects; severe drought
International agreements party to: Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
International agreements signed but not ratified: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.03 male/female
15-64 years: 1.07 male/female
65 years and over: 0.89 male/female
Total population: 1.05 male/female (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 54.84 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 50.33 deaths/1000 live births (2003 est.)
Male: 59.14 deaths/1000 live births

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 64.19 years
Male: 62.07 years
Female: 66.42 years (2003 est.)

Total fertility rate: 4.13 children born/woman (2003 est.)

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.7% (2001 est.)
People living with hivaids: 17,000 (2001 est.)
Deaths: 880 (2001 est.)

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 66%
Male: 72.3%
Female: 59.3% (2003 est.)

Country name
Conventional long form: Independent State of Papua New Guinea
Conventional short form: Papua New Guinea
Abbreviation: PNG
Former: Territory of Papua and New Guinea

Government type: constitutional monarchy with parliamentary democracy

Capital: Port Moresby

Administrative divisions: 20 provinces; Bougainville Central Chimbu Eastern Highlands East New Britain East Sepik Enga Gulf Madang Manus Milne Bay Morobe National Capital New Ireland Northern Sandaun Southern Highlands Western Western Highlands West New Britain

Independence: 16 September 1975 (from the Australian-administered UN trusteeship)

National holiday: Independence Day 16 September (1975)

Constitution: 16 September 1975

Legal system: based on English common law

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Sir Albert KIPALAN (since 13 November 2003)
Head of government: Prime Minister Sir Michael SOMARE (since 2 August 2002); Deputy Prime Minister Andrew BAING (since 15 November 2003)
Cabinet: National Executive Council appointed by the governor general on the recommendation of the prime minister
Elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by the National Executive Council; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition usually is appointed prime minister by the governor general

Legislative branch
Elections: last held 15-29 June 2002 and April and May 2003; completed in May 2003 (voting in the Southern Highlands was not completed during the June 2002 election period); next to be held not later than June 2007
Election results: percent of vote by party - PPP 15%, Pangu Pati 14%, NA 14%, PDM 8%, PNC 6%, PAP 5%, UP 3%, NP 1%, PUP 1%, independents 33%; seats by party - PPP 16, Pangu Pati 15, NA 15, PDM 9, PNC 7, PAP 5, UP 3, NP 1, PUP 1, independents 37; note - association with political parties is very fluid (2002)

Judicial branch: Supreme Court (the chief justice is appointed by the governor general on the proposal of the National Executive Council after consultation with the minister responsible for justice; other judges are appointed by the Judicial and Legal Services Commission)

Political parties and leaders
Note: 43 political parties registered to participate in the June 2002 elections

International organization participation: ACP APEC ARF (dialogue partner) AsDB ASEAN (associate member) C CP ESCAP FAO G-77 IBRD ICAO ICFTU ICRM IDA IFAD IFC IFRCS IHO ILO IMF IMO Interpol IOC IOM (observer) ISO (correspondent) ITU NAM OPCW Sparteca SPC SPF UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UPU WCO WFTU WHO WIPO WMO WTrO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Evan Jeremy PAKI
In the us chancery: 1779 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Suite 805, Washington, DC 20,036
In the us fax: [1] (202) 745-3,679
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 745-3,680
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Robert W. Fitts
From the us embassy: Douglas Street, Port Moresby
From the us mailing address: 4,240 Port Moresby PI, US Department of State, Washington DC 20,521-4,240
From the us telephone: [675] 321-1455
From the us fax: [675] 321-3,423

Flag description: divided diagonally from upper hoist-side corner; the upper triangle is red with a soaring yellow bird of paradise centered; the lower triangle is black with five white five-pointed stars of the Southern Cross constellation centered

Economy overview: Papua New Guinea is richly endowed with natural resources but exploitation has been hampered by rugged terrain and the high cost of developing infrastructure. Agriculture provides a subsistence livelihood for 85% of the population. Mineral deposits including oil copper and gold account for 72% of export earnings. The economy has faltered over the past three years but will probably improve slightly in 2003. Former Prime Minister Mekere MORAUTA had tried to restore integrity to state institutions stabilize the kina restore stability to the national budget privatize public enterprises where appropriate and ensure ongoing peace on Bougainville. The government has had considerable success in attracting international support specifically gaining the backing of the IMF and the World Bank in securing development assistance loans. Significant challenges face Prime Minister Michael SOMARE including gaining further investor confidence continuing efforts to privatize government assets and maintaining the support of members of Parliament.

Real gdp growth rate: -3.1% (2002 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $2,100 (2002 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 32.1%
Industry: 35.8%
Services: 32.1% (2001 est.)

Agriculture products: coffee cocoa coconuts palm kernels tea rubber sweet potatoes fruit vegetables; poultry pork

Industries: copra crushing palm oil processing plywood production wood chip production; mining of gold silver and copper; crude oil production; construction tourism

Industrial production growth rate: NA

Labor force: 2.3 million (1999)
By occupation agriculture: 85%
By occupation industry: NA%
By occupation services: NA%

Unemployment rate: NA%

Population below poverty line: 37% (2002 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 1.7%
Highest 10: 40.5% (1996)

Distribution of family income gini index: 50.9 (1996)

Budget
Revenues: $894 million
Expenditures: $1.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $344 million (2000 est.)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 9.8% (2002 est.)

Exports: $1.8 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Commodities: oil gold copper ore logs palm oil coffee cocoa crayfish prawns
Partners: Australia 23.7% Japan 9.3% China 5.3% (2002)

Imports: $1.1 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Commodities: machinery and transport equipment manufactured goods food fuels chemicals
Partners: Australia 49.3% Singapore 18.8% New Zealand 4.4% Japan 4.2% (2002)

Debt external: $2.8 billion (2002 est.)

Exchange rates: kina per US dollar - 3.8 (2002) 3.39 (2001) 2.78 (2000) 2.57 (1999) 2.07 (1998)

Electricity
Production: 1.496 billion kWh (2001)
Production by source fossil fuel: 54.1%
Production by source hydro: 45.9%
Production by source other: 0% (2001)
Production by source nuclear: 0%
Consumption: 1.391 billion kWh (2001)
Exports: 0 kWh (2001)
Imports: 0 kWh (2001)

Natural gas
Production: 110 million m³ (2001 est.)
Consumption: 110 million m³ (2001 est.)
Exports: 0 m³ (2001 est.)
Imports: 0 m³ (2001 est.)
Proven reserves: 385.5 billion m³ (37,257)

Telephones
Main lines in use: 61,152 (1999)
Mobile cellular: 3,053 (1996)

Telephone system
General assessment: services are adequate and being improved; facilities provide radiotelephone and telegraph, coastal radio, aeronautical radio, and international radio communication services
Domestic: mostly radiotelephone
International: submarine cables to Australia and Guam; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean); international radio communication service

Internet
Country code: .pg
Service providers isps: 3 (2000)
Users: 135,000 (2001)

Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $40.21 million (FY02)
Percent of gdp: 1.4% (FY02)

Airports: 491 (2002)
With paved runways total: 21
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 2
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 14
With paved runways under 914 m: 1 (2002)
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 4
With unpaved runways total: 470
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 11
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 56
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 403 (2002)

Heliports: 2 (2002)

Pipelines: oil 264 km (2003)

Railways: 0 km

Waterways: 10,940 km

Merchant marine
Total: 23 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 45,203 GRT/63,238 DWT
Note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Singapore 2, UK 7
Ships by type: bulk 1, cargo 12, chemical tanker 1, combination ore/oil 2, container 1, petroleum tanker 3, roll on/roll off 3

Disputes international: Indonesian secessionists squatters and illegal migrants create repatriation problems for Papua New Guinea